Midnight Lights
by MyGoodSir
Summary: A twist in the generic HiE story. Tim, who thought his evening would be uneventful, faced a few things he would never expect. He is now a pony, but his life in Equestria will be very different than that of his human life.
1. Chapter 1

Tim drove around very late. He often found comfort in a certain place at night. It was about a fifteen-minute drive from his house. No one knew where his special place was. He had taken his girlfriend there once, but he insisted that she be blindfolded along the drive to his place.

He pulled up to an old dirt road, which was impossible to see at night unless you know where to look. He turned his headlights off, for her knew the road like the back of his hand, and he didn't want anyone to see him going there.

Tim stopped his car, and at that same moment, his phone rang. He saw it was his girlfriend calling.

"Hi, Anna."

"Hey, Tim. I'm surprised you're still awake."

"You did call me, so why are you surprised I'm awake?"

"Oh, shut up, Tim."

"You know me."

Anna giggled slightly from the other end of the phone. "Well, happy Winter Solstice."

"We still have a few minutes before it reaches midnight."

"Fine, you win again."

It was Tim's turn to laugh, now.

"Tim, are you doing anything important right now that I'm keeping you away from."

"I'm just at my nighttime hideout."

"Remember, you did promise me to show me where it was."

"As I recall, you forced me into saying that."

"But you still said it."

"But it was forced, therefore it becomes invalid."

"I really hate arguing with you."

"Is that because I always win?"

"Why else? Anyways, the moon is bright tonight."

"And full, too."

"I guess _Luna _is watching you."

Tim chuckled at her comment. He had told her he was a brony, and she seemed fine with it. Anna, however, did occasionally make jokes about the characters from the show.

"I hope she is."

"You worry me with your ponies, you know."

"I know, and it is quite fun worrying people."

"Why do you have to be yourself all the time?"

"Because I love being the outcast, the one everyone ignores, the independent genius."

"Don't forget about me."

"I didn't. I still love you."

"I love you too, Tim."

"Good Night."

"Night."

He closed his phone just as he reached his favorite spot. He checked the time, and saw he had a little over a minute before midnight.

Tim laid down in the long grass. To him, it was just as good as a professional back massage. He stared around him and saw the empty fields. He looked up, and saw the night sky.

Tim always loved the night better than the day. He found the day often too bright, and too warm. The chill of the night soothed his muscles and relieved him of stress. He felt at peace underneath the moon.

He checked his watch, and saw he had a few seconds before midnight struck. He stared at the full, bright, beautiful moon as the Winter Solstice started. He closed his eyes, and felt like he went to sleep.

When Tim opened his eyes, it was still dark. This dark, didn't feel natural to him, though. He noticed the lack of breeze in the air, and the lack of light from the sky. Then, pictures started to flash around him. He couldn't make out what was held within those secrets, but he soon heard a noise.

_I see you are finally awake._

"Who are you?" Tim shouted, half scared, half curious.

_You know me by a few different names._

"Such as?"

The voice laughed at his recent question. _What I am is not very important right now. What is important is what you are._

Tim looked at himself, and gasped. He couldn't see or feel anything. He tried to wave his arms, but nothing occurred. It was not that his limbs were numb; it was that he had no limbs at all. "What did you do to me?" he screamed.

_I just brought you here. Your form disappeared by itself._

"What do you need me for?"

_Someone to take over my body. This being must think like me for it to be successful._

"What do you mean, take over your body?"

_You will see. _Tim could tell if the voice had a face, it would be grinning.

Suddenly, the world around him started to solidify. Colors deepened into noticeable shapes and hues. He was confused at what was occurring. Around him, he saw shards of metal. He gasped quickly, not realizing he had been holding his breath. He looked at the walls, and noticed they were gray. They seemed to be bleached of their color from sun exposure. Vines were growing along the walls. Then, he turned his attention to right in front of him. Tim looked up, and saw the Solar Princess of Equestria, Celestia.


	2. Chapter 2

Tim, in basic terms, went into shock. He tried to move his legs, and run. To where he would run, he didn't know. He thought he was dreaming, so a good exercise would wake him. As much as he strained, he could move. He noticed Celestia was getting closer. She was speaking some words, but he didn't pay attention to them. He kept on trying to move his body, but it wouldn't budge.

Celestia reached him, and sat down on her legs. Tim could finally understand the words she was saying, mainly because he gave up on trying to run.

"Time to put our differences behind us." Tim started to get worried. He recognized the words from somewhere, but he couldn't remember where. Celestia continued, "We were meant to rule together, little sister."

Tim felt his heart stop. He remembered where he had heard those lines. His memory brought him back to when he saw the second episode of the first season of _My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic_. What confused Tim was the fact of his placement. He knew the words spoken by Celestia were directed to Luna, but she was facing him.

Suddenly, he felt himself jump forward from his sitting position and be comforted by Celestia. His vocal cords starting working without his approval as he said, "I'm so sorry. I missed you so much, big sister."

Again, Tim's heart stopped. His voice changed to match the exact pitch of Luna's. He realized he must be Luna, but he couldn't control his, or her, body. Tim felt himself start to become dizzy, and he felt like he collapsed. He only hoped that Luna, or his body, didn't follow suit with his mind.

When he woke up, he was back in his dark room. This time, no pictures were flying around. It was just him with his non-existent body. Out of nowhere, the voice came back. This time, he slightly recognized it.

_I'm sorry to have brought you then. I was just in a hurry before the Elements of Harmony got me._

"Are you Nightmare Moon?" Tim asked nervously.

_That is one of my names._

"If you are, then how did you control Luna's body?"

_I think I have the capacity to control my own body._

"But you are Nightmare Moon, not Luna."

Tim heard the voice laugh. _So, are you saying that Nightmare Moon and Luna are different ponies?_

"Well, I'm saying one cannot have control over the other, because when that one has control, the body turns to reflect them."

_But we are the same._

"But you are different-"

_Personalities? That is just a lie._

"Wait, you mean that Nightmare Moon doesn't really exist, and Luna just used her form and pretended to be somebod- I mean somepony else?"

_I'm glad you caught on, but you can stop talking about me in the third person, I am right here._

"Why is Nightmare Moon fake?"

_Well, I had everything planned out. I didn't know if I could defeat my sister, so I made my plan to accept the possibility of defeat. I created a new form I could transform into, and named myself, within that form, Nightmare Moon. Mainly, so when I could return to Equestria, I would still be loved by a few ponies._

"So, you are truly corrupt, and willingly almost destroyed Equestria?"

_Oh no. I have seen your mind, and you think Nightmare Moon is a corrupted version of me set only to destroy Equestria. In reality, things were and are much different. Firstly, I wouldn't call myself corrupt. I had views for a better Equestria, but Celestia stopped them._

"You would have put all of Equestria in darkness forever if she didn't stop you." Tim shouted. All that he learned in these few minutes were starting to hurt his head.

_Have you heard the term "History is written by the victors"?_

"Yes, why?"

_My plans for Equestria were nothing like what Celestia said they were. She knew that, but she still banished me to the moon. I believe she made up the lie of me trying to rid the world of sunlight was to primarily convince herself that she had good reason to banish me. I just played along with it when I returned to help her keep her position of power._

"Why did you help her then, if she banished you?"

_One thing, she is my sister. Another, I knew I couldn't fight her and win, so I made myself look more evil so she would try to save who she thought was Luna._

"So, basically, are you saying everything I knew about you was false."

_Not all of it, but most of it._

"Then why am I here?"

_Because I need you to control my body._

Tim had no idea how to respond. It took several long moments before he replied. "What do you mean you need me to control it?"

_Now that I'm back, Celestia will search into the matters of Nightmare Moon. Even she doesn't know I am both Luna and Nightmare. She'll find out I knew what was happening all along, and I'll probably be sent back to the moon. I need you to take over my body, and simply live._

"That's it?"

_Yes, I'll always be in your head to help you if necessary._

"Why me, though? Aren't there other humans, or even ponies that could control your body?"

_None I would trust. I have watched you for a long time. I've seen the way you look at the moon, and the way you treat the night. I also know that I am your favorite character from that cartoon show you watch._

"So, you know that show exists?"

_Yes, and it is quite intriguing. I noticed that the show, in your world's time, contains events that have not happened yet here._

"I guess I understand what is happening."

_Thank you so much for doing this. Now, go to sleep. When you wake up, you'll have my body._

"Good night, Luna." Tim felt himself fall into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Tim woke up, and recalled his dream. He thought he must have taken some sort of drug to have that bizarre. He wondered what caused him to dream of Luna, and why he remembered the dream. Tim doesn't normally remember dreams. The last thing he was sure was real was laying down in the empty field as midnight started the Winter Solstice.

Tim tried to get up, but to him, his legs felt different. He looked down at them, and almost went into shock for the third time in twenty-four hours. They were longer, colored a dark hue of blue, and perpendicular to his body shape. He noticed at the end of them, instead of hands and feet, there were hooves. He tried to stand up, but fell when pressure was put on his leg muscles.

Tim still didn't accept the fact he was in Luna's body. After a few minutes of trying to stand, the voice reappeared in his head.

_Morning, Luna._

"So, it this all real?"

_Well, what else would it be?_

"It could be a dream state."

_Then let's test that._

Suddenly, Tim felt his new body jump towards the wall, and hit headfirst. It felt like his muzzle almost broke. He screamed at the voice in his head. "What the hell was that for?"

_To show you this is real._

"You could have just told me!"

_But you wouldn't have believed me._

Before he could respond, the doors to his room opened. Into the room, rushed Celestia. Celestia looked worried as she quickly asked, "Are you alright, Luna?"

"I'm fine." Tim replied.

"What happened?"

"I only hit my face on the wall, nothing dangerous."

"How did you hit the wall with your face? It, honestly, seems rather difficult to accomplish."

Thinking quickly, he replied, "I'm just not feeling very well today."

"Ok, is there anything I can get you?"

"No, but thank you, Celestia."

Tim watched Celestia leave, and noticed she had a worried look on her face. He finally managed to stand on his legs, and he flopped back onto the bed. He tried to go back to sleep, but the voice started talking again.

_You need to be more discreet about your true self._

"What? Does she think I'm not you already?"

_You did call her "Celestia", and not "Sister"._

"Do you normally call her 'Sister'?"

_I always call her sister._

Tim ended their conversation there, and went back to sleep. Without warning, his head started to explode in pain. Thoughts of his human life rushed back into his brain as he squirmed in the bed. He lost control of his body, and lost consciousness.

When he awoke, he was back in his "Mind Room" as he called it. He started shouting at the voice.

"What happened to my human body?"

_You should probably worry about your new body more than your old one._

"What happened to it?" he repeated.

_In your world's perspective, you simply disappeared. I'll watch your "Earth" for you, if you wish. I'll stalk the people who are trying to find you._

"Can I ever go back?"

_Yes, but...umm..._

"But what?"

_Not as yourself. You can return, but you will be in my body._

"What will happen to everyone I knew, such as my family, friends, and my girlfriend?"

_They will search for you, and then mourn for you. That is my best guess. Although, I recommend you do not return to your "Earth"._

"Why not?"

_You'll probably make the people you visit think they are insane. Imagine, when you were a human, if a talking, flying horse came up to you and tried to tell you they were your lost friend._

"That probably would be awkward."

_Exactly._

Tim sat, or what felt like sitting to him, for a few minutes in silence. Both curious and bored of the silence, he asked Luna's voice, "What happens now?"

_Now, you live in Equestria in my body._

"That's it?"

_Basically, I will be able to control my old body occasionally, should the need for me to arise._

"Anything I should know before I live?"

_I live during the night, and sleep during the day, so you should as well. I'll help you raise the moon for the first few weeks, until you can do it yourself. If anything other problem arises, I'll be here to help you._

"Ok, thanks... I guess."

Tim woke up again. He lost track of time completely, and didn't know what to do. Abruptly, he felt pressure coming from his lower belly. Guessing he had to release his bladder, he found a bathroom in Luna's, or his, room. Soon, he realized he was female. Tim looked between his back legs, and thought of how he would empty his bladder.

About twenty minutes later, he emerged, refreshed. He heard laughing from his head, _That was hilarious to watch._

"Why didn't you help?"

_It was too funny to help. Plus, you need to try things without my constant help. On the bright side, while you were in the bathroom, a guard brought you breakfast, or technically dinner, due to the time._

"What time is it right now?"

_Eleven at night._

"Thanks, do I have any duties I need to perform as 'Princess of Equestria'?"

_Not at the moment. Celestia will control the moon until she believes you, or we, are strong enough to control it once again._

"Aren't you, or I, strong enough already?"

_Of course, but we should give Celestia some slack. She was alone for a thousands years herself, whether you believe it or not._

Tim walked over to the desk in the room, and saw the plate of food. He glanced at his hooves, then back at his food. As his stomach started to moan, he thought, "Challenge Accepted."


	4. Chapter 4

After many minutes, and countless failures, Tim finally succeeded in eating. At first, he thought he would eat it just for the nutrition. With a few bites in his stomach, he realized he actually liked the taste of the daisy sandwich. He tried using magic to lift the sandwich, but only ended up spilling its contents onto the table. Tim resorted to using his hooves to eat. He still made a mess, but he got it in his mouth eventually.

When he finished, he could hear more laughing in his mind, _Wow, I should have grabbed a human years ago. This is just hilarious to watch._

"It's not very easy, I hope you know."

_Which is what makes it funny._

Tim ignored the voice, and looked around his new room. He hadn't had time to get a good look at it. The bed was rather large; it could almost fit three ponies. The cover blanket had a large crescent moon on it, with a few stars in the background. The unmarked parts of the blanket were a deep blue. The remaining sections of the room were generally empty. It seemed that most of what Luna had one thousand years ago disappeared. The walls of the room also a dark blue, but they had a subtle shine to them. The draperies, which covered the windows, were midnight black in color.

_If you're done looking at our room, I would very much like to walk around the castle._

"Why, isn't it your old castle?" As he said that, he immediately regretted saying it.

_Firstly, I've been gone for one thousands years. Secondly, Celestia's and my original castle is in what is now the Everfree Forest._

"Ok, sorry. But why are you so anxious to get moving?"

_Because it's boring just watching you lay in bed. Also, the night is beautiful. And thirdly, we both should learn our way around this castle._

Without a second's delay, Tim felt his body start moving towards to door. "Alright, alright, I'll go."

_Thank you._

Both Tim and Luna were amazed at the craftsmanship of the hallways in the castle. The architecture involved made them seem to be twice as tall as they actually were. The style seemed both ancient and modern at the same time. The ponies who walked by them silently chuckled to themselves as they saw the Lunar Princess staring at the walls.

"Princess Luna." they heard a voice behind them say. When they turned, they saw three royal guards heading towards them. Their coats were a dark grey, but mostly covered by armor. The armor was golden, shining brightly even at night. Their helmets all had hairs in them, and were all blue, except for one. The pegasus in the lead had a black strip atop his helmet hair. The three guards approached Luna and Tim.

"Follow us, Princess Luna."

"To where, may I ask?"

To this, he received no reply. Only the cold, emotionless stare did he receive from the guards.

The castle seemed endless as Tim followed the guards to the unknown destination. Abruptly, they stopped at a door, and the head guard knocked. His gruff voice said, "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna is here."

A soft "Thank you" was heard from the room, and the door swung open. Tim cautiously walked in, then heard the door slam loudly behind.

"Is something wrong, Luna?" asked Celestia.

"Why didn't the guards tell me where I was going?" Seeing the surprised look on their sister's face, Tim added, "I mean, when I asked where they were taking me, they gave me a blank stare."

"Oh, I did leave a note for you with your breakfast saying some guards would come by to bring you here."

"Oh, sorry."

"Nothing to apologize about. I wanted you here to talk."

"About what specifically, sister?"

"You, Luna. I'm worried about you."

"Are you worried about Nightmare Moon returning?"

Celestia looked at her sister, showing worry on her face, "Yes, and other things."

"What other things?"

"How ponies will treat you. Some will surely think you are still evil."

"Because of what you told them about me?"

Celestia looked in confusion towards her sister, "I said nothing about you. I only spoke of Nightmare Moon. I did my best to keep you pure in the eyes of our subjects."

"When you say 'did your best', does that mean you failed?"

"Luna," shouted Celestia, "what is wrong with you? You seemed to have changed so much."

Tim stood up and went to the door. Suddenly, he realized, he should make relations with Celestia better so she doesn't suspect anything. "I'm sorry, 'Tia. I just haven't been feeling too well since I returned. Would you mind if I went outside for a few minutes? Just to get some fresh air."

"Go ahead, but please be careful. I don't want to lose you again."

As Tim walked away, he thought he saw a tear forming on Celestia's face, but thought it best not to continue watching her. In the hallway, Luna started talking again, _You should be more careful in what you say, but nice save at the end._

"Well, thanks for helping me out." he thought, sarcastically.

_If I would've helped, she would've noticed another presence and become suspicious of us. When she is around, you will have to do things on your own._

"Fine, can we discuss this further outside, though? The air is quite stuffy in here, and too bright."

_I concur; I hoped you would say that. The air in Equestria is much better than that of your earthen atmosphere._

"And how would you know what the air on Earth is like?"

_Don't think I only watched you from the moon. Celestia's banishment kept me from returning to Equestria, but had no restrictions on other worlds._

"Does that mean there are other species in the universe?"

_Oh look, we're at the gardens._

"Are there other alien species?"

_Don't stress yourself with such matters._

"So, yes?"

_Just forget about the whole alien thing._

"Forget about what?" he thought, clueless to the recent turn of the conversation.

_Exactly._

Still confused about what had just happened, Tim walked through the gardens. The air, just as Luna said, was much better than Earth's. It smelled very fresh. The moonlight also relaxed him as he moved through the rows of bushes. Together, He and Luna admired the statues scattered around. Still surprised, Luna wondered why Tim passed Discord's stone figure quickly instead of observing it. Once they finished their stroll in the garden, they were about to head in. Just before they reached the door, Tim heard a rustling in a bush to his left side. As he turned, he caught a quick glimpse of a dark sphere heading straight towards his head.


	5. Chapter 5

The sphere hit his horn, and exploded into a shower of sparks and shards. The impact and electricity brought intense pain to him, almost knocking him out. Tim fell to the ground, hearing both Luna scream in pain, and a small chuckle coming from the nearby bush. Suffering greatly, Tim picked up his head to view his attacker. Not much could be seen in the light, and to add to that effect, the attacker was wearing a cloak. What he did notice, was that it was a unicorn, with a white body. The unicorn smiled as he approached them.

"Not so tough now, are you Nightmare Moon?"

"What are you talking about?" blurted out Tim, still in pain. "I'm Princess Luna."

"To me, you're the same pony. Also, the only way to get rid of Nightmare Moon, is to dispose of you." He aimed a kick towards Luna's underbelly, and met no resistance. Tim felt himself fly back a few feet from the impact, send more pain through his system.

_I can't help you, I'm sorry. He disabled our use of magic for the moment, and I don't know how to physically fight._

"Well isn't that just great," thought Tim. "I guess we'll just-"

_Why must you say something so horrible, and stop in the middle of it?_

"No, wait."

As he said that, he felt a hoof hit his face with much muscle. He felt blood start pouring into his mouth as he looked back at his attacker.

"Since I'm about to die," he started, "Can you tell me why you want to kill me?"

"Curious, I see. Might as well tell you, then. I'm going to kill you to make sure Nightmare Moon never comes back. We ponies were much better off without you, Luna. We cherished in one thousand years of prosperity, then you came and crushed it."

"Interesting excuse, but what will happen when Celestia finds out?" he replied, while trying to stand up.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll go to the dungeons, but I get out. Whether escape, or by popular demand for saving Equestria from you, I will get out."

"Good luck with that." Tim said, finally back on his hooves.

"You must be pretty strong to stand after my little toy and my hits." the attacker said. Smiling, he quickly swung a hoof at Tim's head. What happened next, still surprised Luna and the attacker for days to come.

Tim ducked his head underneath the foreleg, and returned the hit. Off-balance and being hit from the side, the unicorn fell over on his side. He got up, and tried to swing another hit at Tim, but he blocked the hit. Using his other foreleg, Tim brought it up, and slammed down on the unicorn's forehead, just below his horn. The unicorn collapsed to the ground, but Tim kept his hoof on his head, pinning him down. In the gardens, sounds of guards rustling around, trying to find where the princess was, could be heard. To the two ponies, there was silence. Suddenly, a bright flash emitted from the two fighters, and was its origin was quickly tracked down by the guards.

When they arrived, they saw the Lunar Princess dragging an unknown unicorn. To them, she called out, "Take this pony to the infirmary." Once they took possession of the unicorn, she added, "Once he's healed, throw him into the dungeons."

"What happened, Princess?"

"He attacked me." Tim replied. "If Celestia asks, I'll be in my room." With that, the princess left the guards with the unconscious unicorn.

Back in his room, Tim flopped onto his bed. Not caring for the blankets, he fell into a deep sleep.

"How long until I heal?"

_Not long, my magic automatically heals me when I sleep. But what was that?_

"What do you mean?"

_What you did. I've never seen a pony fight like that._

"I guess I owe my father a 'thank you'."

_For what?_

"For making me learn martial arts."

_Is that a form of fighting?_

"Yes, but the form I learned, Taekwondo, is more self-defense."

_I just wonder what you did to that unicorn._

"What do you mean? I hit him a few times, and he fell. Nothing major."

Even in his dream state, Tim could almost feel Luna glaring at him.

When Tim woke up, he felt many strange sensations. Firstly, the pain from his fight had dissipated, not even leaving a single bruise. Secondly, his lower shoulder, for he slept on his side, and upper back felt cold and wet. Another thing he felt, was warmth coming from behind him, and drifting over his side. He looked down, and saw a large, ivory colored wing. Without disturbing whoever was next to him, he slowly turned his head, and saw Celestia.

As quiet as he was, Celestia still awoke from her slumber. Her bloodshot eyes told him her tears soaked his back. Her voice was quiet, but still shaky, "Are you alright, Luna?"

"I'm fine, 'Tia."

"Luna." Celestia said, raising her voice slightly, "You could have been killed last night."

"I know, but I survived." He got out of the bed to face his sister, "Celestia, I survived the moon. One thousand years of being alone with Nightmare Moon. I'm not as helpless as I was before that whole incident."

He walked away, mainly because he couldn't stand to see how Celestia would react to his statement.

"Luna, wait a second."

Tim turned around to face Celestia. He could see a new tear slowly sliding down her face.

"Can you tell me what happened to your mane?"


	6. Chapter 6

"My . . . . mane?"

"Yes, you changed it."

He raised a hoof and dragged his mane across his vision. Upon seeing it, he noticed nothing wrong with it. It had its normal translucent outline with an opaque center. Purple-ish on the edge, while blue more inwards.

In his mind, he thought, "What's wrong with it, Luna?"

_Are you that oblivious?_

"Just tell me. Celestia is probably getting suspicious."

_I hope you know it is supposed to be light blue, a lot shorter, and not float in the air._

"But you mane has always been like- oh."

_What?_

"Never mind."

Back in reality, Tim found words to speak to his sister. "I'm not entirely sure, sister. I guess it may have had to due with my healing process over the day."

"Hair does not normally change when your body heals a few bruises and cuts."

"It was more than just a few bruises'."

"I cannot emphasize this enough, Luna. Be careful. I'm sure there are other ponies with similar mindsets to the unicorn."

"I'll be careful, sister. But don't expect me to always stay inside the castle."

"Very well, Luna. Right now, I have duties to attend to. I hope we can discuss this matter in more detail later."

Tim returned to his bed as Celestia walked towards the doors. She gave him a quick glance, one of worry and sorrow, before she departed the room. He wanted to give Celestia a few minutes head start before he traveled around the castle grounds.

_How are you that oblivious to your own mane?_

"What do you mean?"

_It has always been light blue. Also, you basically loved me back on Earth, so you should know my mane color._

"When is Nightmare Night?"

_Don't change the subject._

"Just answer my question. It is related to our mane."

_In about six months time. We also have the gala in about four months._

"Well, that explains it."

_How? And on a side note, why won't you let me into most of your memories?_

"Interesting you should ask, because they are related. Honestly, it is because I know your future."

_And how would you know that?_

"Because I watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic."

_So you think that because you viewed a cartoon show, you know my future?_

"Well, not most of it, but some parts. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but since you already know about it partially, I will. In the first two episodes you were in, your mane and tail were light blue. Your next appearance was in the Nightmare Night episode, in which your mane and tail were in its current state."

Tim left Luna in silence for a few moments. Finally, she responded. _Is there anything else that happens that you can tell me about?_

"I believe there is, but I shouldn't. We should let your, or our, life continue as it should."

After a five-minute nap, Tim stood up, and left his bedroom. He and Luna both wanted to explore the rest of the castle, but something kept them from doing so. Within a few moments of entering the hall, they both sensed somepony following them. When he turned a corner, he got a better view of them. From his quick glance, he saw there were two Royal Guards following him. "Want to have a little fun, Luna?"

_Fun?_

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you didn't remember what fun was. Anyways, can we change back into Nightmare Moon?"

_I don't know what you're planning, but it sounds interesting. Yes, we can, by the way. I'll change when you tell me to, then you can have your so-called "Fun"._

Tim continued walking, trying to find a section of the castle where few ponies were. When he found his spot, he quickly went to work. Using Luna's help, he conjured two roped and set up a trap for the unsuspecting guards. He retreated to a darker area, and thought, "Okay, can you change us now?"

_Very well, then._

After a few moments of feeling nothing, he thought, "Uh Luna, can you change us?"

_I already did._

"But it felt like nothing changed."

_If you weren't looking at a dark wall, you would have noticed our height increased greatly._

Tim looked back towards his trap, and saw it seemed lower than before. Hoof steps nearby broke him from his trance. He only waited a few seconds before the guards fell into the trap. Their back hooves were pulled up tight, leaving their torso and forelegs dangling. Tim immediately recognized them as the two lesser guards that brought him to see Celestia the previous day. Leaving that fact for later, he started to walk towards them. Being disoriented, neither of them noticed Nightmare Moon approaching until Nightmare was laughing in their faces.

"And what would you guards be doing, following the Lunar Princess around at night?"

"We were... just... um" answered the first.

"Yes?" said Nightmare anxiously.

The second pegasus replied, "We kinda wanted to see if we could serve as your guards."

**Canterlot Dungeons**

Shining Armor sat alone on a stone bench. He had been in the Royal Guards for quite a while, from this point, and he enjoyed it. Whether it was Celestia's respect for his sister, Twilight, or him being good at being a guard, he rose quickly through the ranks of the guards. With his increased rank, came more popularity, fancier armor, and his favorite, higher salary. Royal Guards were paid quite well. Shining's current salary was twenty-four thousand bits.

As he sat alone, he began to think. Guarding the dungeons was a job most guard hated, but Shining enjoyed it. It gave him an extra bonus, plus he worked fewer hours than being a normal guard. He primarily used his time to reflect on his life.

The first thing he thought of was Twilight. He missed her greatly. He had not seen her since her move to Ponyville, which occurred only a week ago. Shining was so used to spending time with Twilight, especially when he was off-duty and she finished her studies. He laughed at the thought of Twilight becoming Princess Celestia's star pupil. To him, it seemed like she was trying to follow him everywhere.

Shining Armor also thought of his few friends he had in the guards. Every weekend, they went out drinking. Shining thought they would be jealous of his elevation in rank, but they recognized him as being the same stallion. Recently, one of them asked if he had a marefriend. He partially lied to them in his answer. No, he did not have a marefriend, but there was a certain mare he admired greatly. Ironically, the same mare used to babysit Twilight when she was just a filly. He wondered what she would say if he-

His thought process was interrupted by a loud banging sound coming from one of the holding cells. Being the only occupant, Shining Armor knew it was the unicorn that attacked the Lunar Princess. He was about to shout at him, but the banging was replaced by a new noise.

He stood, and walked down the corridor. The stone was emitting a faint sense of cold as he walked by. When he reached the stone cell, his eyes caught a glint of light coming from the floor. He peered inside, and saw a horn capsule. His eyes widened in shock when he placed a name to the object. It was designed to fit on a unicorn's horn to prevent the use of magic. It almost never fell off. There were only a few reasons that it would fall off. His attention was then drawn to the huddled figure in the corner. Finally, Shining Armor put a name to the new noise he heard.

It was sobbing.

A/N: If you want to know, I did a little research to find the value of a bit. I noticed that in the Cider episode, a mug cost two bits. Also, in Fluttershy's "Putting Your Hoof Down" episode, a package of asparagus (My guess being a pound) was a single bit. I put the price of a pound of asparagus at $2.50, which would make the cider $5, which seems reasonable due to it being a seasonal drink. So, my final answer is, one bit is about $2.50.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I apologize for such a long wait for this chapter. I had a mix of work, housework, writer's block, and other story ideas.

* * *

"You want to serve . . . _me_?" said Nightmare Moon, completely shocked. He did not know what else to say, for he had not expected such a question.

The first pegasus spoke again, "Yeah." He turned in his position, still swinging, to look behind him. Satisfied that nopony was in earshot, he continued, "We honestly like you better than Celestia."

Nightmare laughed, and a blue mist started to swirl around. With their view of the scene blocked, the suspended guards could only watch as the mist intensified. As quickly as it arrived, it departed, leaving a smaller Princess Luna, still laughing.

"Sorry," Tim said, "I haven't heard of anypony liking me better than Celestia. Don't take me wrong, though. I am excited to have some ponies that care for me."

"Um, could you possibly let us down now?"

"I am your princess!" Tim replied, almost shouting. "I do as I wish, when I want to!"

His action caused the guards to flinch back in surprise. They had never heard the Royal Canterlot Voice, and to them, even the quiet version overwhelmed them. The guards saw their Lunar Princess spring up more laughter.

"Don't worry, you can come down." With that, the two pegasi fell to the ground. If they had not been given a warning, they would have snapped their necks on the stone. After a few moments of returning to their hooves, and rubbing their sore limbs, Tim asked them another question.

"So, why do you want to be my guards?"

The first pegasus spoke, "We've always protected others in our life."

"Are you two brothers?"

"No, just close friends."

"If you prefer being a guard, why do you approach me when you already have a position."

"Well, we-," he stopped. Looking at his friend, he gave a small nod, and, again, looked to spot any ponies trying to watch them. To both Luna's and Tim's surprise, he started to remove the golden armor from his body. "We also enjoy night much better than the day." As he spoke, the rest of his protection was gone from his frame, and revealed his body. What shocked the two beings in the single body the most was the lack of a mark upon his flank.

"So," started Tim, "you believe that you were destined to be night guards?"

The first pegasus nodded, and Tim resumed his speech, giving a little chuckle. "Well, I guess I'll make this somewhat formal." In a slightly louder voice, he continued, "I hereby announce that you two ponies shall become Guards of the Night and personal assistants to your Lunar Princess."

With his decree finished, a flash of light illuminated the end of the hallway. Instead of a white, blinding light, the flash was a dark-blue, almost concealing light. With normal sight reinstated, the two friends glanced at each other, and almost squealed in delight. The first pegasus' cutie mark was a shield decorated with a crescent moon, while his friend had a full moon beneath two crossed swords as a mark.

With their new marks, all three figures noticed other changes that occurred during the flash. Their wings, normally feathered, were replaced with ones that resembled a bat. Their armor, while still resting on the stone floor, changed from a golden color to a deep purple with the breastplate becoming a complete black.

"Well," Tim said after a few moments of observation, "I didn't expect that." He glanced back to his new guards, "You two may take the rest of the day off. If another guard complains, tell them to talk to me."

"We will, your Majesty." they replied in unison, bowing deeply. Once done with the bow, they gave each other a large hug. As Tim left the hallway he mentally spoke with Luna. "Do you think this is a good idea?"

_Why not? If Celestia complains, we can that she was worried for our safety and this is a measure to insure that safety._

"Fine, then. Also, what do you think about the guards we chose?"

_Well, they seem quite loyal._

"They do seem to like each other."

_That one pegasus did say they were close friends._

"I mean _like_each other."

_What do you-... oh. Do you mean-?_

"Yeah. But it would probably help us in the long run. If they won't leave each other, that means they would be less likely to leave us. Nap time, again?"

_Nap time, again._

Shining Armor quickly trotted through the halls of Canterlot Castle. It takes most guards two months to figure out their way through, and he was no exception. This time, he was heading to a much-visited place: Princess Celestia's study. He knocked on the door a few time and checked to makes sure he still had the horn cap. A soft voice was heard through the wooden door, "Come in."

He pushed through the doors, and noticed the Solar Princess sitting behind her desk with many papers in front of her. "Ah, Lieutenant Shining Armor. I was actually hoping to speak to you sometime soon."

Shining was taken back by this statement, "What do you mean, your Majesty?"

"I was wondering how our Solar Wind prisoner is doing."

"Solar Wind?"

"So, you haven't heard of them? I honestly didn't think you did, but your sister always surprised, so you could as well."

"Who or what is the Solar Wind, your Majesty?"

Celestia gave a small sigh, and continued, "They are a group of ponies who pledged themselves to the preservation of the sun. The cult first formed during the Nightmare Moon incident a thousand years ago. As their name says, they were primarily pegasi, but probably due to lack of followers and my sister's return, they recently allowed unicorns and earth ponies. They believed I needed, and still do need, help against what my sister had become. I told them many times to stay away from her, I even outlawed the group a few hundred years ago when they discovered the legend of Luna's return. Anyways, how is our prisoner?"

"Well, I did find something very unusual."

"What did you find, Lieutenant?"

Instead of speaking, he reached to his saddlebag and placed the horn cap on her desk. He expected her to be full of shock and surprise, but Celestia only gave another sigh and seemed almost sorrowful. "I hoped this wasn't the case."

"You mean you knew this would fall off, even though there is almost no way that's possible, Princess?"

"I'll inform you at a later date, Shining Armor. Now, though, you can take the rest of the day off. But there is one more thing I wish for you to do." Shining's sense of relief dissipated as he awaited his last order. "I want you to head to the Canterlot Castle Library."

Shining Armor waited a few seconds for his princess to continue. When she didn't, he spoke, "What do you wish for me to do, your Majesty?"

Celestia gave a small chuckle, "I believe there is a certain pink mare reading some books there at this moment. She could use your company."

Shining's face lit up to a shade the rivaled Big Macintosh's coat color. Celestia's laugh intensified as she saw the change of blood flow within her lieutenant. She barely managed to say, "You are excused, Lieutenant."

After a couple hours of what was supposed to be paperwork, but ended up being mental resting, Celestia stepped outside of her study. She needed to ask her sister a very important. The morning was close to beginning, but her sister was more important at this moment. She knocked on her sister's bedroom door, and heard a grumpy voice say, "Come in."

Celestia pushed the door open and observed the state of her sister. He was sitting on her bed, still half-asleep. "Yes, sister?"

"I wanted to talk about our prisoner."

Tim fell back onto the bed, "Oh, this again?"

"Luna, I want you to tell me exactly what happened."

"I told you, sister. He hit me, I fought back. I held him down for a few seconds, and then he seemed to have gone limp. I carried him to the guards, and they took him to the infirmary. Anything else you need, sister?"

"Yes, do you remember what happened when you held him down?"

"I just held him at his head, why do you ask?"

"Because," she sighed, "he lost the ability to use magic."


End file.
